Why did Soviet policemen drive Porsches, BMWs, and Mercedes?

Criminals in the USSR had no chance of outrunning fast Western-made police vehicles.

A lot of people think the Soviets only drove domestically produced cars, or motors made in allied Warsaw Pact countries.

Yuriy Nabatov/TASS

This is not too far from the truth, since barely any foreign models were imported into the Soviet Union until the last few years of its existence. One exception was the BMW-340, which for short period of time during the late 1940s and early 1950s was exported to the USSR.

BMW / EMW 340

Some other foreign models also managed to sneak into the country from time to time. Besides diplomats, high-ranking officials also strived to get their hands on Western-made cars, not to mentioned well-heeled actors and singers.

A.Chakste/TASS

Surprisingly, the luckiest of all was the Soviet police, who were allocated the lion’s share of foreign vehicles. These cars were used in patrol missions and to chase and intercept criminals.

The first foreign car joined the Soviet State Automobile Inspectorate in the late 1960s. This was the Ford Galaxie Wagon, which was even equipped with American police equipment, including a dash light, loudspeaker, and spotlight.

In early the 1970s the Soviet police received a luxury car from Western Germany - the Mercedes W108.